After 23 years, Bluebird K7 will be returning to Coniston on Saturday 9 March, where it will be exhibited in its permanent home at the Ruskin Museum. The display will be available for all to bask in its glory from Tuesday 19 March.
About Bluebird K7
Bluebird K7 is a jet-engined hydroplane which was piloted by Donald Campbell CBE to set seven world water speed records between 1955 and 1967.
K7 was considered revolutionary when launched back in 1955 as it was the first successful jet-powered hydroplane. During its launch year, Donald took K7 to speeds never witnessed before, beating the water speed record by 24mph - raising it from the existing 178mph to 202mph.
Donald was tragically killed on Coniston Water in January 1967, when he lost control of a heavily modified K7 at over 300mph while pursuing his eighth water speed record. Both K7 and Donald’s body were recovered from the lake in 2001 by diver Bill Smith.
About Donald Campbell
Born in 1921, Donald Campbell was a British speed record breaker, breaking eight world speed records on land and water. To this day, Donald is still the only person to set both world land and water speed records in the same year. In 1964, he set a new land speed record of 403mph at Lake Eyre, Australia in the Bluebird-Proteus CN7. Then later that year, he broke his own water speed record at Lake Dumleyung, Western Australia, achieving 276.33mph in Bluebird K7.
Donald came from a family of speed hunters, so a hunger for speed was built into his DNA. His father, Sir Malcom Campbell MBE (1885 - 1948) set nine world land speed records and four water speed records.
Marloe Watch Company and The Campbell Family Heritage Trust
Inspired by the Campbell family’s achievements, we designed the original Coniston Collection in partnership with the Campbell Family, with royalties from the sale of each watch going towards the maintenance and upkeep of the Bluebird vehicles as well as the continued celebration of the Campbell family name.
Our first Coniston was a manual three-hander with an exhibition caseback which we launched in 2018 comprised four models:
Then, in 2022 we launched our second partnership with the Campbell family, the Coniston Auto range. With styling cues from our original Coniston range, the new models feature an automatic movement. For this range we launched four watches.
The Coniston Auto CN7 has a colour scheme that took inspiration from the Proteus-Bluebird CN7, the vehicle that roared Donald to his land speed world record in 1964.
The Coniston Auto K4 draws inspiration from the hydroplane that delivered Sir Malcom Campbell to his fastest speed ever achieved on water - 141.74mph on Coniston Water on 19 August 1939.
The Coniston Auto Trackday, features a blue and orange colour scheme synonymous with motorsport racing. The Campbell family legacy includes track racing - Sir Malcolm Campbell won the 1927 and 1928 Grand Prix de Boulogne.
Back by popular demand - this watch will be restocking in the next few months. You can sign up to be notified via the link above if you would like to be first to hear when the Trackday is back in stock - there is high demand for this watch and we anticipate it to sell out quickly.
Lastly, Our Coniston Auto Black Edition, which features a classic black dial - a must for any classic/vintage watch fan or classic car owner.
And it doesn’t stop there - later this year we’ll be revealing a completely new watch that takes inspiration from one of the most famous land speed record vehicles in British history - we’ll be working with the Campbell Family Heritage Trust and the National Motor Museum to bring this incredible watch to life - so watch this space.